For Want of a Nail
by Gazing on the Arabesque
Summary: Kakashi wakes up in an unfamiliar Konoha - where Naruto's parents are still alive, the Uchiha massacre never occured, and Uchiha Madara was the First Hokage. But things are not what they seem, and the man in the mask is still out there somewhere...
1. Chapter 1

**I've been wanting to do this for a while. Basically this is a Peggy-Sue/For Want of a Nail mash up, but Kakashi is the only one doing the traveling. It's going to start out like the manga did, but there **_**will**_** be some radical differences. Pairings are as follows:**

**KakaAnko (I guess you could call this the main pairing)**

**SasuSaku **

**SuiKa (this one will come later)**

**All dialogue is in quotation marks, and all thoughts are italicized. There's also a Narutaru reference somewhere in here. Enjoy!**

XX

Kakashi noticed three things that were utterly, inexplicably wrong when he woke up in his room that morning. One: he was in his _room_. On his own _bed_. Last time he checked, his whole house had been demolished during Pain's invasion of Konoha. Two: there was someone lying next to him on the bed. Someone he believed to be dead. _Mitarashi Anko? But she was killed by Kabuto when she went to investigate the Edo Tensei!_ Three: the date on the calendar hanging on his wall was wrong; it was almost three years _early_. Kakashi squeezed his eyes shut and massaged his temples. _Madara is using Tsukuyomi on me. This is a genjutsu. After some time, I will wake up on the battlefield._ Anko groaned as she shifted. She was lying on her stomach, and she groggily brushed her bangs out of her face, smiling up at Kakashi. "Morning," she greeted hoarsely.

_Just play along with it. Pretend that nothing's wrong._ "Ah…" Kakashi began, smiling at the woman next to him. "Good morning, Anko-chan."

"Today you're meeting another set of brats," Anko continued, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. Kakashi couldn't help but notice a diamond ring on her finger. _No way… we're not… are we?_ "Don't go too hard on them, ok? Hokage-sama's going to be _pissed_ if you fail his son." Kakashi tried to prevent the shock from showing on his face. _Hokage-sama? Wait… so Minato-sensei is _alive_? Wait… never mind… this is Tsukuyomi._ "And who were the other two?" Anko frowned as she stood up. Kakashi looked away sharply and fought at the blush forming on his face; except for a bit of lacy lingerie, she was completely naked. _So we _are_ married… Madara, you sick, twisted bastard._ "Oh right! Uchiha Sasuke… He's Itachi's brother, right?" The way she was referring to Itachi so casually, a nukeinin, or so he believed, made Kakashi feel sick. "I heard he's a total softie." Sasuke. _Uchiha _Sasuke. A _softie_. Kakashi wanted to bash his head repeatedly against a wall. "And Haruno Sakura… hmm, I don't know much about her. Didn't you say she was a civvie kid?" _Well, glad to see one thing hasn't changed._ Kakashi cleared his throat and stood up, horrified to find that he was clad in nothing but boxers as well. Even his mask was absent; it made his face feel strangely empty.

"Yes, her parents are civilians," Kakashi answered when he could finally find his voice. Anko grinned at him.

"Well she's at the top of her class, and the other two brats aren't _that_ terrible," Anko commented. "Hey, maybe they'll actually pass! And… you know… not because the Hokage'll kill you if you fail his son." Kakashi rummaged through the drawers of a wooden chest at the side of the room and was thankful to find his clothes – _only_ his clothes – there. The mask was the first thing he slipped on. "Do you _have_ to wear that thing? It looks really creepy! Come on, you didn't even wear it at our wedding!" Kakashi couldn't _wait_ to kill Madara, to rip him apart limb from limb… Anko threw on some clothes and tied her hitai-ite around her forehead. Anko stared quizzically at him. "Are you ok? You look out of it."

"I'm fine," Kakashi answered stiffly. "Are you going on a mission?" Anko sighed.

"Yeah, but I'll be back by tonight," she replied. Kakashi nodded.

"Be careful then," he said a bit fleetingly. To him, it sounded like something any husband would say, but Anko raised one eyebrow.

"Really?" she retorted. "We've been married for a year, and you choose _now_ to tell me to be careful on a mission?"

"Fine, forget it," Kakashi grumbled. _This woman is a pain, even in real life…_

"You sure you're up to meeting the brats today?" Anko asked.

"Really, Anko, I'm fine!" Kakashi insisted. "But really. Be careful. Come home safely." The words sounded foreign in his mouth (considering he was saying it to _Anko_, and not Naruto or Sakura), and, if it weren't for the familiar tone of his voice, Kakashi wouldn't even have believed that he'd said it. Anko simply shrugged.

"Well, good luck!" She threw him a smirk and left. Kakashi sat down on the bed and stared at his hands. _Things in this genjutsu are almost exactly like they were back before this whole Akatsuki mess… well, you know, if you don't count the fact that _my sensei, the Yondaime Hokage, is alive_ and the fact that I'm _married_… At least my team hasn't changed. I should probably check in with Hokage-sama… I mean… ugh… _Minato-sensei_._

* * *

><p>Kakashi stepped gingerly into the Hokage's office, not really wanting any more weirdness. On his way up to the office, he had taken one long, good look at the Hokage Monument, and seen Uchiha Madara's face in the place of Senju Hashirama's. <em>Well this is his genjutsu anyway, so why wouldn't he change things for himself a bit? He's changed things enough for <em>me_ as it is…_ When Kakashi saw Namikaze Minato, his old sensei, look up and smile at him, it was as if he'd seen a ghost. "You're early," Minato said simply. "That's strange, coming from you." The fact that someone else was also there in the office – a woman with impossibly long red hair and blue eyes – made Kakashi feel even more on edge. Madara's Tsukuyomi was perfect; each detail felt so _real_.

"I see Anko-chan's had a good influence on you, ne Kakashi-kun?" the woman asked.

"Don't tease him so much, Kushina," Minato said, chuckling. "He might fall back into the habit." _He got their personalities down perfectly… How can he even do that, if he's only known them for about twenty minutes?_ Kakashi cleared his throat.

"So I assume you want me to go easy on Naruto?" he asked.

"No!" Minato and Kushina cried out simultaneously, disgusted expressions appearing on their faces.

"We want you to train him so hard, he dies!" Kushina yelled dramatically.

"Well, maybe not _quite_ that much," Minato amended hastily.

"Train him 'till he drops, and then train him some more!" Kushina yelled. "Naruto's getting a bit too cocky for his own good anyway." Hearing the words "Naruto" and "cocky" in the same sentence was as unnerving as hearing the words "Sasuke" and "softie" together… well maybe it wasn't _that_ much of a stretch.

"Please don't fail him, Kakashi," Minato said sincerely. "I'll be honest; you're the only one I trust with him."

"Now that I think about it, you'll have to take care of little Sasuke-tan too…" Kushina mused. _Sasuke-tan… she really called him _Sasuke-tan_…_ She grinned at him. "But I'm sure you'll be fine. They're good kids."

"Well good luck, Kakashi," Minato said, resting his elbows on his desk and leaning forward. "You're going to need it."

* * *

><p>Haruno Sakura stood out in the playground at the Academy, feeling a pang of nostalgia… not that she minded graduating, of course. "Sakura-chan," a sickly sweet voice said. Sakura whirled around to see three other girls, proudly showing off their hitai-ites on their foreheads. The leader, a girl a few inches taller than Sakura, with dark hair and blue eyes, smiled at her. "You passed the graduation exam, didn't you, Sakura-chan?" Sakura took a step back.<p>

"B-But Ami-chan, it was only pass or fail!" she protested.

"But you still passed," Ami continued, smirking. "You know what that means." One of the girls with her pulled out a glass of orange liquid. There were worms at the bottom of the glass, wriggling in the orange liquid. "Worm juice. You know the drill, Sakura-chan." Sakura stared in horror at the glass. Every single time she'd drank Ami's worm juice, she'd thrown up. _But today, I won't give her the satisfaction._ She frowned determinedly and drank the glass, careful not to swallow any of its contents.

"Well this sucks," one of the girls with Ami muttered. "She didn't even puke this time." The other girl grinned.

"Do you think we've been giving her too much?" she asked. "She's immune to it now!" Ami simply smirked.

"Well, good luck _Sakura-chan_!" She and her friends entered the building, leaving Sakura alone in the playground. Sakura sank to her knees and spit out the worm juice, panting, feeling sick to her stomach. She stood up shakily and ran to a drinking fountain, desperate to get the revolting taste out of her mouth. She slowly made her way over to her classroom, praying that she wouldn't run into Ami or her friends along the way, and, thankful that it was relatively empty, sat down by the window. Iruka-sensei was sitting at the table, scribbling away at some scroll. That was good; there was no way Ami would try anything with him around. Sakura allowed herself to relax as she rested her head in her arms, letting her pink hair fall over her face. She still felt a little sick from the worm juice, but it wasn't something that would force her to sit out anything she might face that day. Slowly, students began to fill into the classroom, most of them talking excitedly to each other. There were even a few girls hoping they had impressed "Prince Naruto". As more and more people came in, Sakura prayed that Ami and her friends wouldn't choose to sit anywhere near her. Thankfully, the rows in front of her and behind her were taken by people whose names she couldn't recall, and Uchiha Sasuke, perhaps the nicest person in the entire graduating class, decided to sit next to her.

"_Ohaiyo_, Sakura-san," he greeted pleasantly. Sakura smiled at him.

"_Ohaiyo_," she greeted back. Sasuke frowned slightly as he studied her face.

"Are you all right?" he asked concernedly. "You don't look well." Sakura felt her face heat up. _Of course Uchiha would notice…_

"I-I'm fine," she stammered. "Really." Sasuke didn't look thoroughly convinced, but Naruto quickly slid into the seat next to Sasuke and greeted him cheerfully. Sakura couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. Naruto and Sasuke had been best friends their entire lives, probably because their mothers were such good friends; she wished she had someone like that.

"_Ohaiyo_, Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted cheerfully.

"_Ohaiyo_," Sakura replied. Iruka cleared his throat at the front of the classroom and stood up.

"Starting today, all of you are real shinobi," Iruka said, "but you are still genin. The hard journey that lies ahead has just started. Now you will get missions to help the village, so today we will create three-man teams, and each team will have a jounin sensei. You will follow your sensei's instructions in order to successfully complete your missions." _Three man teams… that means there's a chance that I'll be placed on the same team as Ami-chan! Oh please no…_ Iruka began reading names off a clipboard, and Sakura tried to keep the fear from showing on her face. The names blurred together; she didn't hear either hers or Ami's. "Ok," Iruka continued. "Next is Team Seven. Haruno Sakura." Sakura squeezed her eyes shut. _Please, don't put Ami on my team. Please…_ "Uchiha Sasuke." _Sasuke-kun isn't that bad… But if the last person is Ami, then…_ "And Namikaze Naruto." Sakura gave a tremendous sigh of relief. She didn't even pay attention as Iruka called out the rest of the teams; she wasn't on Ami's team, but she was sure there would be consequences for being placed on a team with the two most popular boys in her class. "Ok, this afternoon we'll introduce your jounin senseis. Until then, take a break." Noise filled the room as students began conversing with each other.

"Sakura-chan…" came Ami's sickly sweet voice. Sakura turned to see Ami sitting a few rows behind her, smirking sadistically.

"Let's go," she heard Naruto say.

"W-Wait!" Sakura called out. Sasuke and Naruto, who had stood up by now, were staring at her quizzically.

"What is it, Sakura-san?" Sasuke asked.

"Um…" Sakura mumbled, feeling her face heat up. "I-I was wondering if… maybe… you wanted to eat lunch together? I-I mean, we're on the same team, and…" Sasuke smiled good-naturedly at her.

"That sounds like a great idea," he replied. _Whew… I won't be seeing Ami this afternoon…_ "What do you think, Naruto?" Naruto looked at Sasuke, and then at Sakura, before throwing his arms behind his head and grinning.

"Can't," he replied. "Okaa-san wants me home."

"So it'll just be the two of us then," Sasuke said. "Is that all right with you?"

"Th-That's perfectly fine!" Sakura replied, smiling a bit. Sasuke smiled as his cheeks turned slightly pink.

"Shall we go then?" he asked, holding his hand out to Sakura to help her up.

"Y-Yes, of course!" Sakura replied, taking his hand and leaving the Academy with him. _I'm safe…_

* * *

><p>The Tsukuyomi theory was becoming more and more improbable. Everything was so perfectly detailed; there were some details Kakashi was sure that Madara wouldn't be able to get, especially since a lot of aspects of the village sprung up after his apparent death. <em>But if I'm not in a genjutsu, where am I? Have I… have I been transported to another world? <em>As he stared at his team on the roof of the Academy – a bored-looking Naruto, a timid Sakura, and a _smiling Sasuke_ – Kakashi felt like bashing his head against a wall for the umpteenth time that day. Naruto and Sakura's clothes were different from what Kakashi remembered; Naruto wore what looked like his usual garb after returning from his training trip with Jiraiya, instead of his ridiculous orange jumpsuit, while Sakura donned a red kimono, though she still wore her hitai-ite like a headband. Naruto hadn't bothered to prank him as he did before, which was a little unnerving. "Well," Kakashi said. "Let's begin with introducing yourselves. Your likes, dislikes, dreams for the future… things like that."

"Why don't you introduce yourself first?" Sakura suggested in a quiet voice. "That way we can see how it's done." Kakashi's eye narrowed. _The Sakura I know was always so loud…_

"Oh, me?" Kakashi asked. "Well, my name is Hatake Kakashi. I have no desire to tell you my likes and dislikes. Dreams for the future… hmm… And I have lots of hobbies." Sasuke frowned slightly.

"So all he told us is his name…" he whispered. Realization dawned on Naruto's face.

"Oh!" he yelled. "I remember you! Otou-san made me come to your wedding!" _Yet another thing I have to look up. Maybe I'll ask Anko later._

"Now it's your turn," Kakashi said. "Why don't you start, Naruto?"

"My name is Namikaze Naruto!" Naruto announced proudly. "I like ramen, especially Ichiraku's ramen, and training with Otou-san and Ero-sennin." _So Jiraiya is still in the village._ "I hate waiting three minutes for the ramen to cook, when Okaa-san nags me, and Kimi-sennin." _Kimi-sennin? He's not talking about Orochimaru, is he?_ "And my dream… I don't really have one." This threw Kakashi for a loop. _He's not going to go on and on about becoming Hokage?_ "Hobbies? Pranks, I guess…" _Then why didn't he prank me like he did originally? Why does this not make any sense?_ Kakashi cleared his throat.

"Next," he said. Sasuke smiled warmly at him, and Kakashi suppressed a shudder.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke," he introduced. _Stop smiling at me like that! Maybe it would be better if I just ignored him…_ "I like tomato onigiri, cooking, and training with my brother." Kakashi's eye widened. _Cooking? Sasuke likes to cook? Was he always like this?_ "I dislike being compared to my brother in any way, shape, or form, and my goal… is to become stronger so that my father will acknowledge me." _So the Uchiha clan is still alive here… Now that I think about it, that's not too far off from what Sasuke would be like if the massacre hadn't happened._

"And finally, the girl," Kakashi said quietly. Sakura gave him a small smile. _At least she's not that different from her original self._

"My name is Haruno Sakura," she said. "I like sweets and helping my sister out at the bookstore. I don't like people who are mean to others for no reason, and my dream is to become a strong kunoichi, so I can defend people who can't defend themselves. And my hobby is reading and memorizing things." Kakashi's eye narrowed. _She didn't mention Sasuke once during her introduction._

"Ok," Kakashi said. "That's it for the introductions. Tomorrow we'll start our duties as a shinobi."

"So we'll be going on our first mission?" Sasuke asked.

"Not quite," Kakashi replied. "First we're going to do something with just the four of us. Survival training."

"But we had enough training at the Academy…" Sakura mumbled.

"This is different," Kakashi retorted. "This time I'm your opponent. I guess now would be the best time to tell you this: of the twenty-seven graduates, only nine will be chosen to become genin. The rest will be sent back to the Academy. This training is a very difficult exam with a failure rate of over sixty-six percent."

"B-But we worked so hard!" Sakura protested. "What was the point of even graduating if we're just going to get sent back?" _There's fear in her eyes. Is there something in the Academy she wants to escape?_

"I was hoping the top student of this year's graduating class would have a bit more confidence," Kakashi said. Sakura blushed and stared at the floor. "Anyway, tomorrow you have to show your real skills on the training ground. Bring all the shinobi tools you have. Oh… and skip breakfast. You might throw up." He handed them each a sheet of paper. "The details are here. Don't be late tomorrow." Kakashi took a minute to observe his team's reaction. Sakura looked absolutely terrified; her hands were shaking as she read the paper over and over. _No doubt, memorizing everything that's on there._ Sasuke looked rather uneasy as he folded the paper neatly and pocketed it. Naruto frowned slightly as he crumpled it. Kakashi smiled at his team and waved at them. "See you tomorrow morning!"

* * *

><p>Kakashi almost jumped when Anko entered his house. <em>That's right… we're married.<em>

"I'm home!" Anko called. She was carrying a white plastic bag. "I brought food."

"How was the mission?" Kakashi asked, briefly looking up from his book. _Even Icha Icha is different here!_

"A success," Anko replied. "Duh. How were the brats?" Kakashi looked down at his book.

"Strange," was all he said. _Not completely a lie._

"Do you want to eat now, or later?" Anko asked, setting the plastic bag down on the table.

"Any time's fine," Kakashi replied. Anko turned to give him a weird stare before shrugging.

"We'll I'm eating," she said. "I'm starving." She pulled out a white box and pulled a stick of dango out of it. She began munching it, smiling blissfully. _I should probably tell her… I'm supposed to be her husband. She'll be the first person to see that something's wrong. I'm sure I can trust her with this. She's my wife, after all._ "Anko? Can I talk to you about something?"

"Mmhmm?" Anko replied, munching on the dango. Kakashi sighed and shut his book.

"I don't know how to explain this…" he mumbled. He took a deep breath and stared into her eyes. There was a stick of dango in her mouth, and she was staring blankly at him. _I can see why I may have fallen for her at some point._ "I may not be… from this world."

She promptly spit out her food. "What?" she yelled. "That's… did you hit your head or something?" Kakashi sighed again. _I should have expected this._

"No," he replied wearily. "Can I explain?" Anko's eyes drifted to the side.

"Sure," she said, "but make it quick." Kakashi took into a deep breath and launched into an explanation.

"Back in my… world… there's a war going on against this organization called Akatsuki that's after the tailed beasts," Kakashi explained. "This is taking place about three years from now. My genin team consisted of Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Uzumaki Naruto."

"Don't you mean Namikaze Naruto?" Anko interrupted.

"No," Kakashi refuted. "_Uzumaki_ Naruto. Both his parents died when the Kyuubi attacked Konoha. Uchiha Madara ripped the Kyuubi from Kushina-san shortly after she gave birth to Naruto, and she and Minato-sensei died sealing it back in Naruto… Which leads me to my next point. Back in my world, Senju Hashirama was the Ichidaime Hokage, not Uchiha Madara. Anyway, back in my world, the Uchiha clan was massacred by Uchiha Itachi, on orders from Danzou, to prevent a coup d'état on the Uchiha's part. Itachi spared Sasuke's life because he couldn't bring himself to kill him, and this completely _shattered_ Sasuke. He's not the…" Kakashi shuddered. "… _softie_ that he is here. He is a revenge-obsessed boy who's been victimized way too many times by the shinobi world… and he might have some mental diseases as well. Naruto grew up an outcast because of the Kyuubi sealed inside of him, and wants more than anything to become Hokage, but here, he's a spoiled prince with no ambition." Kakashi watched as Anko's expression turned unreadable.

"Wow…" she mumbled. "You're really serious, aren't you Kakashi?" Kakashi nodded. His wife's face turned slightly pink as she looked away. "What about… me?" Kakashi sighed. _She's not going to like this at all. _

"To be honest, Anko, I barely even knew you in my world," he said. "That, and you died before I even got the chance to know you."

"Oh…" Anko said quietly. "You don't sound like you're fully aware of the situation yourself."

"I'm not," Kakashi answered honestly. She stared determinedly at him.

"Well then…" she said, clenching her fists. "Even though you didn't know me too well back where you came from, I'm your wife _here_ and _now_, and I'll do everything I can to help you. Hokage-sama gave me a break from missions for a few weeks, so I have lots of free time on my hands. Right now, the thing you need more than anything is information, because, honestly, I find it extremely hard to believe that you're from a different world."

"But—" Kakashi protested.

"I _do_ believe, however," Anko continued, "that you're not the same Kakashi I married. And that's _fine_."

"About that…" Kakashi mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

"Right," Anko said, smirking. "You need to know how we got together. Long story short, we were assigned a mission together, I got captured, you rescued me, and to avoid suspicion, we posed as a civilian couple. When we came back home, I asked you out on an official date. We dated for a couple of years before you proposed – in the most unromantic way possible, mind you – and then we got married last year. August 13 is our anniversary."

"I'm sorry…" Kakashi mumbled. Anko simply grinned at him.

"Hey, don't worry about it," she said. "Imagine what would happen if you didn't have _me_ to help you out with all of this. That would be a mess!"

"So what should I do?" Kakashi asked.

"Just carry on like everything's fine," Anko advised. "Be a good sensei for the brats, even if they _are_ a bit different. By the way, you're going to have to tell me the whole story eventually, but I have a feeling it's going to take a _really_ long time." Kakashi sighed.

"Thank you, Anko," he said sincerely. _I never knew I would have to rely on you, of all people, someday._

"And I won't tell anyone," Anko continued. "You shouldn't either. Now let's eat and get to bed, shall we? You need to train your brats tomorrow morning." For the first time that day, Kakashi smiled genuinely. _Maybe things will be better here. Naruto has his parents, and Sasuke's clan is still alive… but I still have to find out what exactly is going on here, especially with Madara…_

XX

**Nukeinin = missing-nin**

**Hitai-ite = forehead protector**

**Ohaiyo = good morning**

**Otou-san = dad**

**Okaa-san = mom**

**Kimi-sennin = creepy sage, derived from **_**kimiwarui**_**, the Japanese word for "creepy. Kind of like Ero-sennin, according to a Japanese dictionary. Let me know if I'm wrong, or if there's a better way to phrase this.**

**So, here's pretty much all the changes from canon (that you can see here, of course):**

**1) Madara was the First Hokage, not Hashirama**

**2) Minato and Kushina survived the Kyuubi attack**

**3) There was no Uchiha massacre**

**4) Kakashi and Anko have been married for a year**

**As for characterization, I'd assume that Naruto would be **_**way**_** more cocky and arrogant if at least his dad was alive, and Sasuke would be a male version of his mother, through and through (this includes his scary niceness). Naruto has the fan club here, not Sasuke, which is why Sakura isn't all "OMG, SASUKE-KUN!" If you didn't get the Narutaru reference, it was the worm juice… yeah, the Academy girls are bitches.**

**And there's the first chapter. Please, please, PLEASE review and tell me how I'm doing!**


	2. Chapter 2

Kakashi strolled to the training grounds, actually on time for once. _I suppose it _did_ help getting up early to explain everything to Anko._ "Just leave all the research up to me," Anko told him before he left. "You're a jounin sensei. You need to train the brats. Shouldn't be too hard since you've done it already, right?" As expected, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were all waiting patiently for him. Kakashi glanced down at his watch. _What are they even doing here? I'm two minutes early!_

"Good morning, Kakashi-sensei!" they all greeted cheerfully. Sakura seemed in higher spirits today, and Sasuke was still his disturbingly cheerful self. _Just what have I gotten myself into?_

"All right," Kakashi said, clearing his throat. He pulled an alarm clock out of one of the pockets on his flak jacket and set it on a stump. "It's set for noon." He reached into another pocket and pulled out two bells, dangling them in front of Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke. "Here are two bells. Your task is to take these from me before noon. Those who cannot get a bell by noon get no lunch. I'll not only tie you up to one of those stumps, but I'll eat right in front of you." Kakashi couldn't help but smirk as the three genin cringed. "You only need to get one bell. There are only two, so one of you will definitely be tied to a stump. And… the person who doesn't take a bell fails, so at least one of you will be sent back to the Academy." The look of utter fear and horror was back in Sakura's eyes, and Kakashi couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. "You can even use your shuriken. You won't succeed unless you come at me intending to kill. Now… start!" Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke leapt away in the same direction, probably to discuss strategy. _So they actually understand here. _He glanced around cautiously before pulling out _Icha Icha Paradise_ and reading._ Good… this is going to be interesting._

* * *

><p>"There's no way we can get those bells on our own," Sasuke said flatly as soon as Kakashi was out of earshot. "He's a jounin, and we're not even real genin yet. There's no way—"<p>

"So what's your point?" Naruto asked. "I know he said we need to come at him intending to kill, but—"

"Um…" Sakura piped up. "Why don't we work together?"

"But one of us is going back to the Academy for sure!" Naruto protested.

"But that doesn't necessarily mean we have to fight each other," Sasuke pointed out. "One of us just has to take the fall for the rest of the team."

"Ok," Naruto said, frowning and straightening his hitai-ite. "So who's it going to be? I'm not going back, that's for sure." Sakura's eyes averted to the floor. _Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun are best friends… They'll probably want me to go back so they can pass together… But I have to help out nee-san! Besides, if I go back to the Academy, I might have to face Ami again… But it doesn't seem fair to break them up like this._

"I-I…" Sakura mumbled.

"I'll go back to the Academy," Sasuke volunteered. Sakura stared at him with utter shock and confusion. _What? Wh-Why is he…_

"You're dad's going to be pissed," Naruto said, frowning at Sasuke.

"I know," Sasuke replied, "but, really, what more can he do to me? Besides, it's not fair to Sakura-san, who's worked so hard to make it this far."

"B-But you really don't _have_ to…" Sakura protested feebly. _He… he's really doing this for me…_ Sasuke gave her a reassuring smile.

"It's all right," he told her. "You go on ahead. I'll catch up." Sakura smiled.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun…" she said quietly.

"All right, so what are we going to do?" Naruto asked impatiently. "We have to get those bells before noon, but that's going to be hard because he's a _jounin_. You don't just become a jounin by standing around and reading porn. You have to be _really_ good."

"I know," Sasuke retorted. "There isn't much we can do to affect him."

"But we _can_ outsmart him," Sakura added. "It'll be difficult, but I'm sure we can do it. If we all attack him at the same time, we might be able to get the bells. I can put a genjutsu on him… or something…"

"But he has the Sharingan," Sasuke said, frowning slightly. Sakura frowned in confusion.

"I didn't see any Sharingan on him," she refuted.

"Then he has it covered, right?" Naruto asked. Sasuke nodded.

"Most likely," he replied. "The Sharingan can see through any genjutsu, but if it stays covered, then Sakura-san might be able to distract him for a bit. Naruto, you and I could use that opportunity to attack him simultaneously and take the bells, and before he notices, I'll give mine to Sakura-san. But one thing is certain: if he uncovers his Sharingan, it's all over."

"That… actually might work," Naruto mumbled. "So you guys wanna try it?" Sakura smiled.

"Sure," she said. "Let's go!"

* * *

><p>As Kakashi read his orange book, he was vaguely aware of shimmering cherry blossoms floating into his vision. <em>So Sakura knows genjutsu here.<em> He pocketed his book slowly and placed his hands together in a tiger seal to dispel the genjutsu, but then something hit him hard… from two different directions. He quickly performed a kawarimi, switching places with a log nearby. _They actually got the message this time around. It's so weird… not like I'm complaining._ He made his way over to his team. "Well," he said dramatically, "I didn't expect you to get it so quickly." He glanced at Naruto, then at Sasuke. "But, considering your upbringing, I'm not surprised." He smiled. "You three pass."

"Wh-What?" Sakura gasped. "All of us? B-But… you said…"

"We didn't even get a bell!" Sasuke protested. Kakashi raised one eyebrow.

"Had you been fighting someone else, you just might have succeeded," he said. "Besides, I couldn't help but overhear your strategy." Their faces paled visibly. "Good job, Sakura." Sakura blushed, and Kakashi clapped his hands together. "So, who's up for lunch? Our first lunch as Team Seven. It's on me!"

"Ok," Sakura said quietly.

"Sure, why not?" Naruto said.

"Of course," Sasuke said, nodding. Kakashi smiled.

"Shall we get going then?" he asked. "I just happen to know this _great_ place…"

Kakashi made his way up to the Hokage's office, and he couldn't help but smile. _It looks like things will be better this time around._ As he pushed open the door, he was surprised to find Anko waiting for him, along with Minato and Kushina. "Oh…" he said slowly. "Hello, Anko-chan." She grinned at him.

"Hey," she greeted cheerfully.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "I thought you said you wouldn't be taking any missions for a few weeks."

"A few weeks?" Kushina interjected. "Really Anko-chan? You haven't told him yet?"

"Well…" Anko mumbled, scratching the back of her head and blushing. "He seemed to have a lot on his mind."

"Told me what?" Kakashi asked. _Oh please don't tell me…_

"I'm pregnant!" Anko said cheerfully. _Oh great. I wake up in a different world (maybe), and the first thing I find out is that I'm married and I'm going to be a father. Wonderful._ Still, Kakashi faked a smile.

"That's wonderful!" he said. "So is it a boy or a girl?" Anko and Kushina raised their eyebrows. _Something tells me I should have paid more attention when Sakura was babbling…_

"We don't know yet," Anko said. "We'll find out in a few months, though. So I won't be going on missions for a while."

"Speaking of which, how was your new team?" Minato interjected.

"They all passed," Kakashi said a bit dully. _Not like it was ever a surprise._ Minato smiled.

"That's good," he said. "I trust you'll take good care of Naruto and Sasuke then." Kakashi nodded.

"Of course," he replied.

"Let's go," Anko said, linking arms with Kakashi. "I have a _lot_ of things I want to discuss with you."

* * *

><p>Anko began babbling the second Kakashi shut the door to their house. "So I did some research like you asked," she said, "and your whole theory about being in a different world or timeline really sucks. There <em>is<em> such a thing as space-time ninjutsu, however, and you _can_ use it to travel through time. But it's a forbidden jutsu, and it requires a _ton_ of chakra. Why did you want to go time traveling again?"

"I didn't," Kakashi deadpanned. "But perhaps Madara – that masked man I told you about – was responsible for this. His specialty is space-time ninjutsu. That still doesn't explain how things could be so different here."

"Which leads me to my next point," Anko continued. "You were probably brought along on this little time-traveling expedition _by accident_ and dropped off here while Madara – are you sure it's him? – went all the way back to where he wanted to go."

"But why would he make life _easier_ for us?" Kakashi asked.

"Let's focus on what he changed first before we question his motives," Anko suggested. "Didn't you say he was crazy?" Kakashi sighed and nodded.

"Ok, so first things first," Kakashi said, "Senju Hashirama was originally the Ichidaime, not Uchiha Madara." Anko pulled a chalk board out from a drawer in the living room and began writing. "Then he somehow allowed Minato-sensei and Kushina-san to live. He obviously released the Kyuubi at some point, because Naruto has it—"

"Namikaze Naruto isn't the Kyuubi jinchuuriki," Anko said flatly. "Kushina-san is. Where did you get of thinking it was _Naruto_?" This time, Kakashi _did_ bang his head against a wall. "I'll just write it down." Anko continued scribbling on the chalk board.

"Ok, next," Kakashi groaned. "There was no Uchiha massacre."

"Mmhmm," Anko said as she wrote that down. "Anything else?"

"Well Sakura isn't an insane fan girl here, but I don't think that has anything to do with Madara," Kakashi deadpanned. "Other than that, I can't think of anything else… unless he did something else with Orochimaru and Otogakure."

"Otogakure?" Anko repeated. "What's that?"

"Never mind," Kakashi said flatly. "Just tell me what's going on with Orochimaru." Anko's eyes averted to the floor and she began to play with her fingers.

"Um…" she mumbled. "Orochimaru-sensei's _dead_." Kakashi closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm pretty sure I told you before… not _you_ you, just… you. A-Anyway, Orochimaru-sensei let me lead a mission because I was just promoted to jounin. I was seventeen. I was young… inexperienced… I jeopardized the whole mission, and I accidentally put the client in danger. Orochimaru-sensei died… trying to save the client. H-He was killed by some Kumo nukeinin." There were tears shining in Anko's eyes, but she managed to force a smile. "I'm sorry. I'll write that one down."

"What was he like?" Kakashi asked before she could even start writing. "I'm sure the Orochimaru I knew was far different."

"He was really nice, surprisingly," Anko said. "I mean, he was always really quiet and stoic, but once you got to know him, he was really nice."

"He was a Sannin and he was killed by a couple of rogue ninja?" Kakashi asked incredulously.

"I know it sounds hard to believe," Anko said, "but it's true. They got him in his vital spots. They're impossible to heal, you know." _Believe me, I know._ Anko wiped her eyes and laughed. "Sorry, I'm getting all sentimental here."

"It's perfectly normal to grieve for your loved ones," Kakashi assured her.

"I know," Anko said, nodding understandingly. "You lost your sensei too once, didn't you? But now you can have him back. Who cares why Madara changed everything? Everything worked out great, didn't it?"

"But I really would like to get back to my own world," Kakashi admitted. "No offense or anything, but we have a war to win over there." Anko frowned at him.

"You can't go back," she said flatly. "Too much has changed; your future doesn't even exist anymore." Kakashi balled his hands into fists. _How can he even do that? Do those people's lives mean nothing to him?_ "But he _did_ spare the lives of a lot of people, didn't he? You ought to thank him."

"No way," Kakashi retorted. "I don't know what exactly he's up to, but I will say this: to him, we're all pieces on a shogi board. Disposable. He could care less for us."

"So this guy essentially created a paradox," Anko said, sighing. "You know, Orochimaru-sensei once told me about this proverb.

"_For want of a nail, the shoe was lost;  
>For want of a shoe, the horse was lost;<br>For want of a horse, the rider was lost;  
>For want of a rider, the message was lost;<br>For want of the message, the battle was lost;  
>For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost,<br>And all for the want of a horseshoe nail."_

"Don't they use that proverb at the Academy to teach students that sometimes inconsequential actions can have big consequences?" Kakashi asked.

"Exactly!" Anko cried. "You mess with the past, and _everything changes_." She crossed her arms and sighed. "So I know you're not thrilled about being here, but at try to suck it up, ok? For little Madoka-chan or Itsuki-chan." Kakashi smirked.

"So you've decided on names already," he said.

"We did a while ago," Anko replied, smirking back. "Madoka was your idea, Itsuki was mine."

"We planned this far ahead?" Anko pulled off Kakashi's mask and kissed him slowly. It felt strange, having something besides his mask pressing against his lips.

"A shinobi must always look underneath the underneath, right? We weren't even married yet when we decided this." Kakashi smiled and wrapped his arms around Anko's waist.

"And whoever said I wasn't happy about being here? Screw Madara; right now, everything's perfect here." Anko sighed contently as she buried her face in his chest.

"Yeah…" she replied. "You know, even if you're from a different timeline and all, you really haven't changed a bit." Kakashi simply chuckled and rested his head on top of Anko's.

XX

**READERS. Y U NO REVIEW? I LIVE OF REVIEWS, PEOPLE. So why is this fic now under "parody"? Because it's a deconstruction of your typical time-travel, take-away-one-crucial-event-and-change-everything fic... and I suck at writing romance too. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 3

As Naruto glared at his father, Kakashi felt a rather large headache coming on. "Come on, Otou-san!" he whined. "Just one itty bitty little C-rank!" Sure, the D-ranks they had done were successful. Sure, the daimyo's wife's precious little Tora-chan clung to Sasuke whenever Team Seven was sent to retrieve him and refuse to go back to the daimyo's wife afterward. Sure, Sakura was great with kids, making all babysitting missions ridiculously easy. Sure, despite his relatively nonchalant attitude, Naruto was surprisingly fast at raking leaves. _But that doesn't mean they're ready for a C-rank yet, right?_

"Absolutely not!" Kushina yelled. "You've been a genin for two weeks! You're not invincible, Naruto!" She placed her hands on her hips. "You too, Sasuke! Your mother would be worried sick about you!"

"But nii-san went on his first C-rank when he was younger," Sasuke protested.

"Sakura-chan?" Kushina asked, raising her eyebrows helplessly. "Didn't you say your sister would be all alone?"

"She let me come this far, Kushina-san," Sakura said. "I think she knew what I was getting into."

"Let them go, Kushina," Minato said calmly. "They're growing up. There's nothing we can do about it. Besides, Kakashi's with them. You'll take good care of them, won't you Kakashi?"

"Of course!" he said.

"Ok, I'll give you a C-rank," Minato said as he began searching through various scrolls scattered across his desk. "It'll just be a simple escort mission. We wouldn't want to put Kakashi in too much danger when he has a baby on the way."

"Oh, you're going to be a dad, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"Um…" Kakashi mumbled as he grinned and scratched the back of his head. "Yup. My wife's pregnant."

"That's so sweet!" Sakura squealed. _Now she's sounding a bit like her old self._

"Congratulations," Sasuke said politely, smiling warmly. Kakashi shuddered. _Ugh, I still need to get used to that._

"So what's the mission, Otou-san?" Naruto asked. Minato smiled to his wife.

"Kushina, could you please bring in the client?" he asked. Kushina glared at him and huffed in annoyance.

"I still don't like this," she grumbled. She left the office, muttering to herself, and Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Typical Okaa-san," he said. "When is she going to learn that I'm not a baby anymore?"

"She means well, Naruto," Minato said gently. "She's just worried about you."

"I bet Mikoto-san isn't freaking out like this…" Naruto grumbled.

"She did when nii-san went on his first C-rank," Sasuke said, smiling sheepishly. "I guess she's used to it by now." Kushina came back in with a relatively dark-skinned man with wrinkles around his eyes.

"Everyone, this is Tazuna-san of Nami no Kuni," Minato introduced.

"What's this?" Tazuna asked rudely. "They're all a bunch of super brats. Especially the shortest one. Are you really a shinobi?" Naruto clenched his fists and glared at him.

"Hey!" he shouted. "I'll have you know, I'm the son of the Hokage!"

"Well _excuse_ me, princess!" Tazuna snapped back, scoffing.

"What did you just say?" Naruto practically growled. Kushina suddenly cleared her throat and cracked her knuckles, and Naruto and Tazuna paled visibly. _Oh great. This mission's off to a _wonderful_ start._

* * *

><p>Kakashi made his way back home to pack up for the mission; Kushina had suggested that Team Seven visit their family at least once before leaving. When he entered the living room, he saw Anko lounging on the couch, her nose buried in one of his <em>Icha Icha<em> novels. "You know," she said without even looking up, "if you get past the porn and the nauseatingly graphic detail, this stuff is actually pretty decent."

"I can't believe you're actually reading that," Kakashi commented as he sat next to her.

"I'm pregnant," Anko stated, as if it explained everything. "I can do whatever the hell I want. So why are you home so early? No missions today?"

"No, actually we're leaving the village for a C-rank," Kakashi replied listlessly.

"Ok…" Anko mumbled, straightening up. "And how did that go last time?" Kakashi sighed as he filled her in on the details of the Nami no Kuni mission, careful to leave out the particularly gruesome details. "Well that… sucks. It might have changed, though, so be careful."

"Of course," Kakashi replied, nodding solemnly.

"And don't die," Anko said flatly. "We wouldn't want little Madoka-chan to be without a father, now would we?"

"Or Itsuki-chan," Kakashi corrected, smiling. _It's nice when people say this. Usually it's just Naruto and Sakura, but it's so different when Anko says it._ Anko giggled before proceeding to help Kakashi pack for the mission. When they were done, they stood outside. "Well," Kakashi sighed, "I'm off." Anko crossed her arms and quirked one eyebrow.

"Aren't you going to kiss me goodbye?" she demanded. Kakashi felt his face heat up.

"W-Well…" he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. Anko huffed exasperatedly before pulling down his mask and kissing him on the lips.

"Come on," she whined. "I know it's kind of awkward now, but you've got to act the part." She smirked playfully at him. "Trust me. You'll get used to it soon enough… maybe when you come back from your mission." She raised her eyebrows suggestively, and Kakashi chuckled.

"We'll see," he simply said. _What's scarier: Sasuke smiling or Anko in bed?_

"You're no fun…" Anko mumbled, pouting. "Well, good luck on your mission, and don't die!"

* * *

><p>The first person Sasuke met when he returned home was his brother. "Back so soon, otouto?" Itachi asked, smiling warmly.<p>

"I have to pack for a mission," Sasuke replied, smiling back. "C-rank."

"So you're leaving the village…" Itachi mused as he ruffled Sasuke's hair. Sasuke made his way to his room and began stuffing clothes, weapons, and food into a backpack.

"Knock knock." His cousin Shisui stood at the door with a smirk painted on his face. "So little Sasuke-tan's going on his first C-rank."

"Outside the village too," Itachi added.

"I wonder how Mikoto oba-san's going to take it," Shisui said, rubbing his chin contemplatively.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Sasuke said, prompting Shisui to burst out laughing.

"Get real, Sasuke," he said. "She's going to freak, and you know it. You've been a genin for two weeks, and you're already going on a C-rank!"

"Maybe I'll awaken my Sharingan…" Sasuke mused.

"I certainly hope not," Itachi said sternly, frowning. "That requires a life-threatening situation."

"You awakened yours when you were seven," Sasuke pointed out, staring blankly at his brother.

"Which is so totally _wrong_ on _so_ many different levels," Shisui grumbled. "Now _what_ exactly happened for you to activate it at such a young age?"

"I thought we agreed we'd never speak of that again," Itachi said quietly.

"What was it, though?" Sasuke asked. "You never told me."

"I'll tell you, Sasuke," Shisui said, grinning. "It had something to do with your sensei."

"Shisui," Itachi warned.

"Hokage-sama and his family came over for dinner one night and brought Kakashi with him," Shisui continued, completely ignoring Itachi.

"Shisui."

"So Itachi accidentally ran into Kakashi…" Shisui said dramatically.

"_Shisui_."

"And Kakashi dropped the book he happened to be reading," Shisui continued, his grin growing even wider. "Itachi bent down to pick it up, saw a rather graphic illustration of a rape scene on the page, and activated his Sharingan right then and there."

"SHISUI!" Itachi finally exploded. Shisui and Sasuke were both laughing now, and Itachi hung his head in shame. "I hate you both… You have no idea how _frightening _that was." he muttered. Sasuke finally zippered his backpack shut and slung it over his shoulder.

"Well," he said, "I'm off."

"Don't forget to check in with Okaa-san and Otou-san before you leave," Itachi reminded him. Sasuke nodded and made his way down to the kitchen and found his mother and father eating at the table. His mother looked up and smiled at him.

"Oh, Sasuke, are you going on a mission?" she asked. Sasuke nodded and smiled.

"My first C-rank," he said proudly. This caused Fugaku to raise his eyebrows.

"But you've only been a genin for two weeks," he said, sounding impressed. Mikoto, on the other hand, had tears in her eyes.

"Y-You're leaving the village?" she asked, her voice wavering. Sasuke raised his eyebrows in alarm.

"I-It's only for a short while…" he said shakily.

"No," Mikoto whispered as tears streamed down her face. "No, no, no…" She then trapped Sasuke in a hug, nearly suffocating him. "Sasuke, don't go!"

"Let the boy go, Mikoto," Fugaku said dismissively, continuing to eat. "He's growing up."

"No, I won't!" Mikoto wailed. "My little baby's going to get hurt and awaken his Sharingan because something bad is going to happen to him!"

"Okaa… san…" Sasuke choked. "You're… crushing… me…"

* * *

><p>Sakura found her sister Saya shelving books at Konoha's bookstore. She stood meekly by one of the shelves, standing so that she was partially covered by it. "Oneechan?" she said quietly. Her sister turned towards her, her eyes blank and emotionless.<p>

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "Don't you have a mission?"

"W-Well…" Sakura mumbled, playing with her fingers. "That's _why_ I'm here. I… I'm going to be out of the village for a couple weeks, g-give or take a few days." Saya made her way over to Sakura, crossing her arms and staring blankly at her. The two sisters were nearly identical in appearance, though Saya's hair was wavy as opposed to Sakura's stubbornly straight hair.

"Your first C-rank, huh?" Saya asked, raising one eyebrow. "Haven't you only been a genin for two weeks? You're doing a mission outside the village already?"

"Y-Yes…" Sakura said quietly, her eyes averting to the floor.

"Be careful, ok?" Saya said. "Don't just rush head-first into things. It's not brave; it's stupid, and if you're ever up against something you can't handle, just leave it up to your sensei. He's a jounin for a reason."

"Ok," Sakura said, nodding her head.

"And if you end up having to fight someone, don't try to talk your way out of the fight," Saya continued. "That will only make them want to kill you faster. The only time you can talk is when you're gloating about your victory _after_ you've won." Sakura yawned. _Is Oneechan going to be done anytime soon?_ "Can you at least _pretend_ you're listening? I'm being serious here, imouto!"

"It's just an escort mission," Sakura assured her sister. "We aren't going to be fighting _at all_… unless we're training or sparring." Saya gave a heavy sigh.

"I sure hope so, imouto…"

* * *

><p>"This is boring," Naruto complained. "Are we just going to <em>walk<em> this bridge builder guy to Nami no Kuni?"

"That _is_ the mission," Sasuke replied. "At least we got to leave Konoha."

"Why can't we do anything interesting?" Naruto demanded. "I want some action!"

"Believe me, Naruto, you don't want anything of that sort," Kakashi said morosely.

"How are you doing, Tazuna-san?" Sakura asked.

"I've got a damn headache from _Princess_ over there," Tazuna grumbled. Before Naruto could even open his mouth, Kakashi placed a hand on his head.

"Settle down, Naruto," he said warily. Naruto simply crossed his arms and glowered. It had been almost a week since they had left Konoha, and the mission had been relatively quiet. _If my sources are correct, it's not going to be this quiet for long. _

"Um, Tazuna-san?" Sakura piped up. "You're from Nami no Kuni, right?"

"What about it?" Tazuna asked.

"Kakashi-sensei, do they have shinobi in that country too?" Sakura asked.

"No," Kakashi answered, "not in Nami no Kuni. But in most other countries, the customs and cultures may be different, but hidden villages exist and so do shinobi. To the many countries of the continent, the existence of a shinobi village means military power. This is how they hold and maintain advantages over each other. However, it's not that the villages rule the countries, but that they stand equally with the country's government. A small country like Nami no Kuni doesn't receive much interference from larger countries and may not need a shinobi village. Within the many shinobi villages, Konoha, Suna, Kumo, Kiri, and Iwa are large and powerful and thus are referred to as the Five Great Shinobi Countries. Also, these are the only countries whose leader receives the name 'Kage'. The 'Five Kages,' Hokage, Kazekage, Raikage, Mizukage, and Tsuchikage, they reign over the thousands of shinobi in the world." Sakura and Sasuke's eyes widened slightly with all the information, and Naruto simply looked bored. "But don't worry. There won't be any combat in a C-rank mission." Sakura sighed in relief, and Sasuke gave a small smile.

"That's no fun," Naruto whined. Just then, Kakashi noticed a conspicuous puddle on the ground. _So that's one thing that hasn't changed. Naruto, you just might get your wish._ Kakashi heard footsteps behind him, and suddenly, two masked men ambushed Team Seven, swinging chains dangerously. The chains wrapped tightly around Kakashi, who did his best to look surprised. As the two masked men yanked on the chains, Kakashi quickly performed a kawarimi and watched as his "body" was ripped apart by the chains. Sakura screamed, and Sasuke began calling out his name. Naruto completely froze, and the masked men surrounded him. They swung their chains, and Sasuke leapt into the air, flinging shuriken at them. The shuriken pinned the chains to a tree, and Sasuke threw a kunai at them to keep them in place. As the two masked men were immobilized, Sasuke zoomed in to attack them. The masked men released their chains, and one shoved Naruto to the ground while the other headed towards Tazuna.

"Tazuna-san, get back!" Sakura yelled as she slid in front of him and proceeded to form a genjutsu.

"Kai," the masked man said, smirking while placing his hands together. Sakura shrieked as the genjutsu was shattered, and she held a kunai out in front of her, her hands shaking. The masked man zoomed in towards her, but then Sasuke slid in front of her, holding his arms out wide. _I guess it's time I made my dramatic reappearance._ Kakashi trapped the masked man in a headlock before he could even strike, standing confidently before his team. Sakura sank to her knees, and Sasuke and Naruto sighed in relief.

"Naruto, I'm sorry I didn't save you immediately," Kakashi apologized. "I didn't think you would freeze like that." _Yet another thing that didn't change._ "Sakura, good job defending the client, though we will have to work on your genjutsu and, specifically, what you're going to do when and if your genjutsu is dispelled." _She seems to be considerably stronger in this timeline… possibly perhaps she isn't fawning over Sasuke._ "Sasuke, that was a fine display." Kakashi flashed him a smile. "I didn't know you had that in you." _Anko said he was just an average student… maybe he just didn't apply himself at the Academy?_ Naruto looked downright embarrassed, while Sakura gave a small smile. Sasuke, however, looked crestfallen. "Tazuna-san, I need to talk to you." _But first let's deal with these two clowns._ Kakashi proceeded to tie the two masked men to a tree and took a good look at their hitai-ite. "These look like chuunin from Kirigakure. These shinobi are known to continue fighting no matter what."

"How did you read our movements?" one of the masked men growled.

_Because I've done this before._ "Because, on a sunny day like this when it hasn't rained in days, there's not going to be a puddle," Kakashi answered.

"If you knew that, why did you let the brats fight?" Tazuna asked, sounding slightly shaken himself.

"If I wanted, I could have killed these two instantly," Kakashi said, "but there was something I needed to find out – who these two were after."

"What do you mean?" Tazuna asked, now looking a bit guilty.

"Meaning…" Kakashi continued. "Were they after you, or one of us? We haven't heard that there are shinobi after you. Our mission was to simply protect you from thieves and gangs. Do you realize what this means?" Tazuna didn't say a word. "This has now become at least a B-rank mission. This was supposed to be a simple escort mission until you completed the bridge. If we had known that shinobi were after you, this mission would have been set as the more expensive B-rank. I'm sure you had your reasons, but it causes problems when you lie about the mission. We are now operating outside of our duties."

"We should just quit now," Naruto drawled. "I mean, this isn't really our job, is it? We should just turn back and leave."

"B-But we can't just leave him!" Sakura protested. "W-We agreed to protect him until the bridge was completed, right? So it's scary chuunin after him instead of thieves and gangs… we still have to complete the mission!"

"Well Sasuke, it's up to you to break the tie," Kakashi said, eyeing his last student. "I'll leave this decision entirely up to you guys." Sasuke stared at the floor.

"I say…" he said quietly. "I say we complete the mission." Naruto scoffed. "Sakura-san is right. We can't just abandon Tazuna-san like this."

"Then it's settled," Kakashi said, smiling. "We're completing the mission. Shall we carry on then?"

XX

**... seriously guys. Why aren't you reviewing? You see, if this story gets more reviews, more people will read it because readers will think it's **_**popular**_** from the sheer number of reviews. So please?**

**I fail at writing fight scenes, as you can see. Hopefully I'll get better as I continue this story. And does Sakura have a sister named Saya in canon? No idea. Because we never get to see her family. But yeah, you'll see more of her later. Just note that she's a _civilian_.**

**ANYWHO, I know this part was pretty close to canon. Don't worry. It'll go off the rails soon. Until then, PLEASE REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

Sakura shivered as she tried to peer through the thick mist. Part of her regretted her decision to continue the mission; there was still a chance that even more high-leveled shinobi would attack. _But we couldn't just leave…_ Now Team Seven was on a boat, well on their way to Nami no Kuni. "We should see the bridge soon," said the man rowing the boat. "Nami no Kuni is at the base of the bridge." Sakura still couldn't see anything but her teammates. Naruto looked irritated – _of course, he was outnumbered two to one_ – and Sasuke looked a bit despondent. Kakashi looked almost unnaturally calm throughout all of this. _He's so sure of himself… I wish I could be like that…_ Soon enough, an enormous bridge presented itself through the mist. "Now you guys have to be quiet. If Gatou finds us, we'll be in big trouble."

"Who's Gatou?" Sakura asked.

"He…" Tazuna said quietly. "He's the man… who's after me."

"From Gatou Company?" Kakashi asked. "He's said to be one of the wealthiest people in the world."

"Yes…" Tazuna affirmed. "Officially, he runs a large shipping company, but secretly, he sells drugs and other illegal items, using shinobi and gang members to take over businesses and countries. He's a very nasty man. It was about a year ago when he set his eyes on Nami no Kuni. Through money and violence, he quickly took control of the country's shipping industry. Gatou now has a monopoly on all business traffic in the country. The only thing he has to fear now is the completion of the bridge."

"But why is he so threatened by a stupid bridge?" Naruto interjected.

"If the bridge is completed, we no longer have to rely on Gatou for basic necessities," Tazuna explained. "We would be able to go to the mainland for them and avoid him completely."

"I see…" Sakura said quietly. "Since you're building the bridge, you're in the way."

"So those shinobi were hired by Gatou?" Sasuke asked. Tazuna simply nodded.

"But what I don't understand is…" Kakashi began stiffly, almost as if he had rehearsed what he was going to say. "If you knew shinobi would be after you, why did you hide that fact when you hired us?"

"Nami no Kuni is extremely poor," Tazuna explained. "Even the daimyo has no money. Of course, we don't have much money either… not enough for an expensive B-rank mission."

"Tazuna-san," the rower piped up. "It looks like we've avoided detection so far, but just in case, we'll take the route that has vegetation. It will make it harder to spot us."

"Thanks," Tazuna said, sounding relieved. The boat passed through a tunnel, and on the other side was a large tree sprouting from the center, with frail-looking wooden buildings lining the edges of the river. The rower docked the boat at a pier shielded by the tree.

"This is it for me," the rower said, sighing. "Goodbye, and good luck." Tazuna smiled at him in return.

"Thank you so much," he said. "All right! Get me home safely!"

"Yes, of course," Kakashi replied listlessly. Sakura stared at the wood beneath her feet, unable to keep her hands from shaking. _If we're attacked again… what if it's someone of a higher level? Maybe a jounin? _

"We'll be fine, Sakura-san," Sasuke assured her, smiling at her. Sakura couldn't help but blush. _How is it that he always knows exactly what to say at the right time?_ Suddenly, something rustled in the bushes, and Sakura jumped. "It's all right. It was probably just a rabbit or something." Suddenly, the air grew heavy, and Sakura felt a sense of impending doom.

"Everyone, get down!" Kakashi yelled. Sakura didn't even have time to react; Sasuke grabbed her hand and yanked her down with him as windmill shuriken flew above their heads. Out of the trees, a silver-haired appeared, holding an abnormally large sword shaped suspiciously like a fish. His amethyst eyes stared emotionlessly at Team Seven. _His eyes… they're so cold… can we really fight this guy?_ On his forehead was a hitai-ite bearing four diagonal lines. _That emblem… Is he from Kirigakure? _"And you are?"

"Hozuki Mangetsu of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist," the man introduced, his voice flat. As he opened his mouth, Sakura noticed his sharp, almost shark-like teeth. His gaze flickered to Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke. "So you hired children to protect you, Tazuna-san. I expected better."

"Hey!" Naruto yelled. "Who're you calling a kid? I'll have you know, I'm—" Kakashi promptly clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Shut up," he said quietly. "Everybody, get back. This one's on a whole different level." As he released Naruto, he pulled his hitai-ite off his left eye. "It will be a little tough unless I do this." Sakura knew there was a Sharingan eye under that hitai-ite, but she was horrified to find a long gash running across it. Sasuke stiffened visibly next to her.

"Even if you are Sharingan Kakashi," Mangetsu said in a low voice, "my target is still Tazuna-san. My apologies."

"Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke," Kakashi said, "protect Tazuna-san. Do not enter the fight." All three nodded hesitantly.

"U-Um, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura stammered. "Will the Sharingan help much in this fight?"

"The Sharingan can read all types of gen, nin, and taijutsu," he explained calmly.

"But there's more," Mangetsu interjected. "With the Sharingan, you can copy your opponent's techniques once you see them. It's how this man, who has copied over one thousand jutsu, has obtained the title Copy Ninja Kakashi. And with that…" Mangetsu held his sword out towards Tazuna. "I'm sorry, Tazuna-san, but I must kill you. But it seems… I must defeat Hatake-san first." The tip of Mangetsu's sword flattened, and Mangetsu slammed it down on the ground. The ground shuddered violently, and Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Tazuna scattered. Kakashi pulled out a kunai and charged towards Mangetsu, but the kunai phased through what appeared to be a wall of water shaped like Mangetsu. _Wh-What? Did he just turn his whole body into water? _Mangetsu's body reappeared, and he smirked at Kakashi. Kakashi retaliated quickly, and managed to cut Mangetsu's arm just before the swordsman could morph into water. Now it was Kakashi's turn to smirk, as blood began pouring out of the wound.

"Hozuki Mangetsu was perhaps the strongest member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist before it was disbanded," Tazuna said. "You kids have to be careful. He may put on a nice act and talk a nice talk, but he's ruthless."_ He's after Tazuna-san!_ Sakura shut her eyes and began forming seals with her hands. _I have to help somehow…_

"Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu!" Sakura called. She turned to smile at her teammates and Tazuna. "Don't worry, Tazuna-san. If Hozuki-san comes anywhere near us, he'll have to face his worst fear." Sakura looked back to Mangetsu. _It's strange… he says he wants to kill us, but I can't feel a very strong killing intent from him…_ Kakashi and Mangetsu began rapidly forming seals.

"Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu!" they both called out. Large dragons made entirely of water emerged and charged towards each other. Kakashi's dragon soon overpowered Mangetsu's, and the swordsman was knocked off his feet. Just then, Mangetsu turned his attention towards the remaining Team Seven and charged at them, his sword raised. Kakashi zoomed in front of them, blocking the fish-shaped sword with a kunai. As Mangetsu staggered backwards, Kakashi thrust the kunai into his chest… and was met with a splash of water. Sakura blinked confusedly. _Wh-What? Where did he go?_ Kakashi turned to the rest of Team Seven.

"Are you guys all right?" he asked. Just then, Mangetsu approached him from behind, holding his sword up against Kakashi's throat and taking care to dispel Sakura's genjutsu in the process.

"So you never intended to fight me," Mangetsu said. "You only wanted to protect your team and your client. I respect that; I would have done the same had our roles been switched." Mangetsu's sword sharpened. "Hiramekarei – that's the name of my sword. It can morph into virtually any weapon." Mangetsu raised his free hand. "Suiro no jutsu." A sphere of water formed around Kakashi, and Kakashi gazed about in panic. "I'm sorry, Hatake-san, but I must complete my mission, just as you must complete yours." Mangetsu quickly formed a water clone to keep the water prison in place and sauntered over to Team Seven, clutching his arm. _He's still bleeding from that cut Kakashi-sensei gave him earlier… Was the cut really that deep?_ "Tazuna-san, I hope you understand the difficult position that I am in. I really have no other choice but to work for Gatou-sama. If I had it my way, I would be helping you complete the bridge, not preventing you from doing so." His eyes averted to the floor. "Still, if anyone, including your family, asks you what transpired here, you will say that I was defeated by Copy Ninja Kakashi. Understand?"

Unsure of what else to do, Tazuna nodded. "Y-Yes," he answered hesitantly. Mangetsu made his way back to his clone.

"Hatake-san, I hope that the next time we fight, it will not be as enemies." And with that, he dispelled his clone and disappeared into the mist. Kakashi collapsed, and Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke ran towards him.

"Kakashi-sensei!" they yelled as Kakashi stood up hesitantly.

"I'm fine," he huffed.

"Wh-Why don't you guys come over to my house then?" Tazuna suggested. "You guys can rest up there. It's the least I can do for all you guys have done for me already."

"Thank you, Tazuna-san," Sasuke said politely. "Let's go, shall we?"

* * *

><p>Tazuna's daughter Tsunami began fussing over Team Seven as soon as they arrived. "Oh you poor things!" she gushed. "You must be so tired after that long journey. And you had to face such a strong shinobi too!"<p>

"Eh, don't worry, Tsunami," Tazuna said half-heartedly. "Old Mangetsu was no match for Copy Ninja Kakashi here!" _I really wish he'd stop saying that. Mangetsu just up and left after beating us around for a bit. _

"Either way, you four should freshen up," Tsunami advised. "I'll get you guys some clean clothes, and you can take a shower. Gatou's going to throw a fit when he sees Konoha nin walking around town, so you might want to try blending in with us."

"I'll go first," Naruto announced before standing up and throwing his arms behind his head. "So where's the bathroom?" Tsunami smiled at him.

"Just follow me," she said before leading Naruto deeper into her house. "The water's a bit cold though, so you'll have to excuse us."

"Cold showers?" Naruto whined. "Well this sucks." _Before, we faced Zabuza, not Mangetsu, and I'm fairly certain that Zabuza was _way_ more willing to kill us. Did something happen to Zabuza? Or rather… what happened to ensure Mangetsu's survival? Speaking of which, why is he here? I would think he'd still be loyal to Kirigakure. But then Tazuna mentioned that the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist were disbanded… what does this all mean?_

"Um… Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura piped up. "Why did Hozuki-san… spare us? I mean… he said he was ordered to kill Tazuna-san, but he didn't."

"And why is he here and not in Kirigakure?" Sasuke asked. Tazuna sighed.

"What happened to the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist was just terrible," he said.

"They disbanded, right?" Kakashi asked.

"Not after having most of their members killed off," Tazuna muttered.

"K-Killed off?" Sakura squeaked. "Wh-Why?"

"I don't know, but since last year, members of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist have been winding up dead," Tazuna said. "It's not like they died in battle or anything. No, they were left alone for one minute and then found dead the next."

"So they were assassinated?" Sasuke asked.

"Momochi Zabuza was the first to die," Tazuna continued. Kakashi winced sympathetically. _So that's why we didn't face him._ "His body was found literally cut up into a hundred pieces. The group didn't think anything of it at first. They even got a replacement for him – Mangetsu's kid brother, incidentally. But then more and more were found dead. Jinin, Raiga, Ameyuri… Mangetsu – I guess you could call him the unofficial leader – disbanded the group because he feared for everyone's safety and left Kirigakure with his brother. Today, only two of them are left: Hoshigaki Kisame and Mangetsu himself. Say what you will about him after today, but know this: Hozuki Mangetsu is nothing if not honorable. He does what he does out of necessity, so that he and his brother can survive, not out of any bloodlust or greed."

"If he's such a nice person, why do we have to fight him?" Sakura whispered.

"I'll bet the only reason he's working for Gatou now is because Gatou will pay him handsomely for it," Tazuna said. "He's only about seventeen, you know. He needs the money to survive."

"Really?" Sasuke asked. "Only seventeen? I thought he was older."

"Sure seems that way, doesn't it?" Tazuna asked, smirking. "No, he's seventeen and his brother's about your age. Sui-something."

"Otou-san?" Tsunami called. "I'm going to make dinner soon. Anything you want in particular?"

"No, anything's fine," Tazuna said.

"I'll help," Sasuke volunteered.

"Oh, no!" Tsunami protested, her face turning slightly red. "You don't have to go through the trouble…" _That's right… he enjoys cooking here._

"It's no trouble at all," Sasuke replied, smiling.

"Well, actually I need some herbs from the forest nearby," Tsunami mumbled. "After you freshen up, would you mind getting them for me?"

"Not at all," Sasuke replied, bowing his head.

"Sasuke, you shouldn't go alone," Kakashi advised.

"Then I'll go with him," Sakura volunteered. Kakashi smiled.

"All right, then," he said. _If things proceed to go as smoothly, Hozuki Mangetsu may become our ally…_

* * *

><p>Sasuke fidgeted uncomfortably in the clothes Tsunami lent him. He felt almost naked, having no weapons pouch or armor. <em>I was hoping I'd activate my Sharingan while I was fighting Hozuki-san… Maybe I should have joined the fight? Why did Kakashi-sensei refuse to let us carry our weapons? What if we're ambushed? <em>Sakura looked far more comfortable in her current situation. _She grew up in a civilian family, didn't she? Maybe she's just used to dressing and acting like a civilian._ Sakura stopped examining the plants around her to look at Sasuke. "Are you all right, Sasuke-kun?" she asked. "You seem… out of it." Sasuke shook his head.

"No, I'm fine, Sakura-san," he assured her. Sakura frowned slightly. _Was it something I said? Did I upset her in some way?_

"You don't have to keep calling me that, you know," she said. "It's so… impersonal. We're friends now, aren't we?"

_Of course!_ "Y-Yes…"

"Then you don't have to call me 'Sakura-san' _all_ the time," Sakura said, smiling at him. "Just 'Sakura' is fine, or even…" she closed her eyes and shuddered, "… _Sakura-chan_, but… just call me whatever feels natural to you." _I shouldn't call her 'Sakura-chan'… She doesn't seem to like that nickname too much._

"All right…" Sasuke said quietly, smiling, "_Sakura_." Sakura smiled brightly at him.

"Yeah, that's it!" she said cheerfully. Sasuke couldn't help but smile in return. She was rather nice to look at, Sasuke supposed – _but Otou-san would never approve…_ The white kimono Tsunami had given her brought out her light pink hair and vibrant green eyes. _But if either of those traits show up in our offspring, Otou-san will… Wait… _offspring_? When did I… How did I… ugh, this is pathetic… Sakura-san – I mean Sakura – is my _teammate_. Nothing more._ Sakura held the bag of herbs out towards Sasuke. "Is this everything, Sasuke-kun?"

"I think so," Sasuke replied. "Let's head back, shall we?"

"Well, what have we here? I didn't expect to find anyone else here." Behind Sasuke and Sakura was a boy about their age with silvery white hair, purple eyes, and sharp teeth similar to Mangetsu's. He too wore Kirigakure's hitai-ite. _Could he be…?_ As the boy studied their faces, his expression turned placid. "Wait a minute… pink hair… You're part of that Konoha team that Mangetsu nii-san fought, right? The one with Copy Ninja Kakashi?" Sasuke and Sakura glanced at each other hesitantly. _He's definitely Mangetsu's brother. But what does he want with us?_ "Listen, the name's Hozuki Suigetsu. Mangetsu's my older brother."

"Um…" Sakura mumbled.

"Look, I know it's kind of weird," Suigetsu said, smirking, "you know, with my brother and your team leader fighting each other and all… but we really don't mean any harm. We're just trying to get by here and get rid of that stupid ass Gatou."

"You're trying to _get rid of him_?" Sasuke asked. "By working _for_ him?" Suigetsu crossed his arms and glared at Sasuke.

"Hey, it's a pretty sweet deal," he said. "We get to take down a corrupt businessman and get paid for it by the corrupt businessman himself!" _We can't trust him. He could be lying… but with the way Mangetsu-san was acting back then… I wouldn't be surprised if Suigetsu-san is actually telling the truth._

"A-All we want to do i-is to help the villagers," Sakura stammered.

"Which is why I'd like to make a little deal with you guys," Suigetsu said. "We help you get rid of Gatou and help the villagers of this dump, and you let us go with you to Konoha for asylum." _What should we do? By simply being associated with one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, his life is in danger. Not to mention Mangetsu-san is… _

"We can't promise you anything just yet," Sasuke said. "We'll talk it over with our sensei and let you know."

"Here," Suigetsu said, pulling out a white envelope and handing it to Sasuke. "It's a note from Mangetsu nii-san. Give it to your sensei for me, will you?"

"I just have one last question," Sasuke said. "Are you and your brother loyal to Kirigakure?"

"We're loyal to the _old_ Kirigakure," Suigetsu answered, his voice flat. "Before that bastard Yagura took over. Oh, and one more thing. Tell your sensei to take it easy on my brother. He gets nicked once, and he starts bleeding like crazy. It's pretty much what happened after he fought you guys."

"Is he all right?" Sakura whispered.

"Yeah," Suigetsu drawled. "I'm just here to get some herbs to help with the pain a bit. I guess it's a family thing, because I get like that too. Anyway… I've got to go. Good luck!" And with that, he began walking in the opposite direction.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura whispered. "Do you think we can trust him?" Sasuke exhaled sharply.

"I don't know," he answered honestly, "but if what he says is true, then that could work to our advantage." He smiled at Sakura. "But for now, we have to get back, don't we? We don't want to keep everyone waiting."

XX

**YAY, YOU REVIEWED! Anyway, thank you SO MUCH to anon for kindly pointing out that the first Hokage was the Shodaime, not the Ichidaime. Actually, I **_**do**_** look up everything up on .com, but it's these titles that screw me over every time.**

**I really like the Hozuki brothers. Suigetsu just happens to be my favorite male character in the entire series, and Mangetsu is my favorite minor, only-showed-up-in-about-two-panels character. But yeah, they're both hemophiliacs. That's something I made up here. Think about it: if they can morph effortlessly into water, then their blood shouldn't be able to clot too easily. Hence Mangetsu almost dying from a cut from a kunai (but not really dying). **

**I hope you enjoy this nice deviation from canon after the last chapter (which was so stuck to canon, I wanted to bang my head against a wall). Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!**


	5. Chapter 5

"What took you guys so long?" Kakashi asked as Sasuke and Sakura entered Tazuna's home.

"We met Hozuki-san's brother," Sasuke said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a white envelope. "He wanted us to give you this." Kakashi opened the envelope and began reading slowly.

_Hatake-san,_

_I understand completely if you wish to disregard this message entirely, but please know that I never intended to fight you, at least not as an enemy. Gatou is a terrible, manipulative man; you can see what he has done to this desolate village. My brother Suigetsu and I wish to drive him out of this village, and, considering how many talented shinobi he has in his ranks, we will need help. If your mission is to protect Tazuna-san, you will be able to complete it more easily if you aid us. However, I understand that your opinion of us is rather low, considering what happened earlier today. If you wish, please meet us at Tazuna-san's bridge tomorrow at 15:00 to discuss further details._

_Thank you,_

_Hozuki Mangetsu_

Kakashi sighed heavily. _This better get bumped up to an A-rank. I want compensation._ "We're driving Gatou out of Nami on Kuni with the Hozuki brothers' help," he said simply. _Was Mangetsu ever this… nice? Maybe he's pulling a Sasuke on us all. Or maybe he's genuinely nice. I have no clue. I only met him when he was an Edo summon being mind-controlled by Kabuto._

"Wait, driving him out?" Sasuke repeated. "Are we going to kill him?"

"If it comes to that, then yes," Kakashi answered.

"That means that we'll finish our mission faster, and then we can get _out_ of this dump!" Naruto proclaimed. Kakashi sent him a sharp glare, and Naruto simply scoffed in response.

"However, there will be shinobi within Gatou's ranks," Kakashi continued. "Talented shinobi, at least of chuunin rank or higher. Mangetsu and I may be able to defeat them on our own, but if we're outnumbered, things will get ugly fast… which is why you three will receive training."

"B-But what's a little training going to do?" Sakura protested feebly. "We couldn't even fight off those two Kirigakure chuunin on our own, and you couldn't even defeat Hozuki-san, and he wasn't even _trying_ to defeat you!"

"True, it will be difficult getting you three ready," Kakashi conceded, "but it's not impossible. Sakura, you can already use genjutsu; all we need to do is hone your skills so that your genjutsu is actually effective against the enemy. Sasuke, when we fought those two Kirigakure chuunin, you jumped into action so quickly and effortlessly; you should have no problem fighting even higher-ranked shinobi.

"But I don't even have the Sharingan," Sasuke said.

"Lots of strong, talented shinobi don't have the Sharingan to aide them," Kakashi pointed out. "Lacking the Sharingan is a weakness only if you treat it as a weakness. But by what I've seen, you'll be fine without it. Naruto…" Kakashi sighed. "It won't do to have you freeze up like you did before. You'll probably need more training than Sasuke and Sakura."

"That's not fun…" A little boy who looked a bit like Tazuna stepped into the room, looking miserable.

"Inari!" Tazuna yelled, spreading his arms out as the boy came to hug him.

"Welcome back, Ojii-san," Inari said quietly.

"Inari," Tsunami said, "this is Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and their sensei Hatake-san. They're the shinobi that helped protect your grandfather. Please say hello." Inari simply glared at them.

"Okaa-san, they're going to die," Inari said flatly. "Them and those Hozuki people. There's no way they can win against Gatou." There was pin drop silence in the room, and Sakura covered her mouth with one hand. "If you don't want to die, you should leave."

"Shut up, you little brat!" Naruto yelled. _Look who's talking…_ "I happen to be the son of the Hokage, and we'll—"

"So?" Inari shot back. "That's your dad, not you."

"Wh-What?" Naruto spluttered.

"You think I care who your dad is?" Inari continued. "Well he's not here, is he? So just leave while you still can."

"How dare you?" Naruto practically growled, his hands balling into fists.

"Naruto, settle down," Kakashi warned.

"No, I won't!" Naruto objected. "He's just a stupid little kid who's too scared to do anything but run away and cry! He won't amount to anything in his life!" Inari glared at Naruto before stomping up a flight of stairs and slamming a door shut.

"Says the person who couldn't do a thing when it actually counted," Sasuke muttered.

"Who are you to say that?" Naruto yelled.

"You know…" Sasuke began before frowning sternly at Naruto. "You're really starting to get on my nerves."

"You got a problem with it?" Naruto countered. Kakashi buried his nose in his book and ignored Sakura's pleading looks. _To hell with it. There's no way I'm getting involved in this._

* * *

><p>Sakura headed up the stairs hesitantly. <em>I've never seen Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun fight like that… I hope they stop soon… <em>At the top of the stairs was a narrow corridor with a few rooms on each side. "Inari-kun?" Sakura called. "Are you in here?" She heard whimpers coming from further in the hall and stepped forward hesitantly. They grew louder as she reached one door, and she knocked on it. "Inari-kun?" She slid the door open and saw Inari sitting by an enormous window, crying. Sakura sat down next to him.

"Otou-san…" he whimpered. He clutched a photograph of an older man, and Sakura smiled sympathetically at him. _Poor thing… I wonder what happened…_

"Is that your father?" she asked. Inari dried his eyes and nodded. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"No," Inari said stubbornly. "What do you know?" Sakura gave a small, sad smile. _Of course he won't talk to me. I'm just a random kunoichi here to protect his grandfather who he thinks is going to die anyway. There's no way he'll trust me._

"Not much," she admitted. "I never knew my father, or either of my parents for that matter. They died when I was a baby."

"B-But have you really been alone this whole time?" Inari asked. Sakura smiled at him.

"No, my sister's always been there for me," Sakura replied, "so I've never really been alone. You aren't either, Inari-kun. You still have your mother and your grandfather, don't you? They love you, and they'll do anything to make you happy." Inari sniffled a bit before throwing his arms around Sakura's waist and sobbing into her chest. "U-Um… o-ok…" _What am I supposed to do now? _She began to pat his back awkwardly.

* * *

><p>"Before we begin training," Kakashi said the next morning, "I want to talk to you about chakra."<p>

"We already know about that, sensei," Naruto drawled.

"Good," Kakashi said. "Then why don't you explain it, Naruto?"

"Ok!" Naruto replied. "It's… um…" Kakashi sighed.

"Sakura?" he said. _Please tell me at least Sakura knows._

"Chakra is the energy a shinobi needs when performing jutsu," Sakura explained. "It's the body energy that's in each of your cells and the spiritual energy gained through training experiences combined. So by bringing out and releasing chakra, you can use jutsu. This is done by the basic process of performing a seal with your hands."

"Very good, Sakura," Kakashi said, smiling. _Well, what do you expect? She was the top student in her graduating class._

"But Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke protested. "We can already use jutsu."

"Nope," Kakashi said flatly. "You guys aren't using chakra properly. As Sakura said earlier, to release chakra means to bring out physical and spiritual energy and mix them together within your own body, and based on what jutsu you use, the type and amount of chakra that is released will be different. You guys aren't using chakra effectively yet. Even if you are able to release a high amount of chakra, unless you control it properly, the jutsu will be weakened or it won't work at all. And by wasting energy, you won't be able to fight as long. These kinds of weaknesses will appear."

"So what should we do?" Sakura asked quietly.

"Learn how to control your chakra, of course!" Kakashi replied. _Though hopefully you won't have too much of a problem. _

"But how?" Naruto asked impatiently.

"Tree climbing," Kakashi said, his voice dead serious. Seeing his team's disbelieving expressions, Kakashi decided to elaborate. "This isn't normal tree climbing. You'll climb without using your hands. Watch." Kakashi pumped some chakra to his feet and began walking up a tree nearby. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke stared up at him, eyes wide with wonder. "Gather your chakra in the bottom of your feet and climb up a tree. This is something you can do once you can use chakra well." Naruto scoffed.

"What a waste of time," he muttered. Sasuke sent him an icy glare.

"The purpose of this training is," Kakashi began, "first, to teach you to control chakra. As I said before, this is the most important part of using jutsu. This can be difficult, even for skilled shinobi. The amount of chakra needed to climb a tree is small, but exact, and it is said that the bottom of the foot is the most difficult area to gather chakra. So basically, if you can learn this control, you should be able to master any jutsu… theoretically speaking, of course." This got Naruto's attention. "The second thing is for you to develop the stamina needed to control chakra properly. Depending on the jutsu, controlling your chakra properly can be very difficult, and shinobi usually gather their chakra while moving. These types of situations make controlling chakra even more difficult. That's why from this exercise, you must gain the stamina needed for this proper control… but me talking all day isn't going to accomplish anything. This is something you'll have to learn by just doing it." Kakashi flung three kunai towards his team. "Use these to mark your progress. You won't be good enough to just walk up the tree at first, so get some momentum by running up. Got it?"

"Are you done yet?" Naruto asked impatiently. Sasuke glared at him once more.

"Well, Naruto, if you're so confident, why don't you try first?" Kakashi suggested. _Stop being so cocky. It's only going to get you killed._ "I mean, considering who your father is, it should be no problem for you, right?" Naruto smirked.

"Of course not!" Naruto retorted. He clasped his hands together as he gathered chakra in his feet and charged at the tree. He placed one foot on the trunk… and promptly fell backward. "Ouch!" Kakashi yawned.

"Next?" he called lazily. "Sasuke?" Sasuke frowned determinedly as he ran towards the tree, and then up. However, after a few steps, the bark on the tree broke under his feet, and Sasuke fell backwards. Before he could fall, Sasuke swiped the kunai at the tree, creating a mark just above the broken bark. "It's harder than it looks, isn't it? Too much chakra and the wood cracks, but too little and you don't stick at all. It's all about balance." Kakashi turned his attention to Sakura, who looked anxious. "Sakura, it's your turn." Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath before clasping her hands together and gathering chakra to her feet. Then, with her eyes still closed, she began to walk up the tree, higher and higher until she reached the top. She sat on the highest branch, reopened her eyes, and stared down at Sasuke and Naruto.

"Th-That wasn't so bad…" she stuttered.

_So that's the same here too. No wonder, considering she already knows how to use genjutsu. _"So it appears that the best at controlling chakra is Sakura," Kakashi said. _But her stamina here isn't as high as it was in the other timeline. We'll have to work on that. Naruto and Sasuke still have substantially larger chakra capacities than Sakura, but without the Kyuubi, Naruto has a lower chakra capacity than Sasuke._ "Sakura, since you have clearly mastered this exercise, I will give you some special training before we reconvene with Mangetsu."

"What?" Naruto yelled. "Why her?"

"Calm down," Kakashi said sharply. "You both will get training as well… after you master this exercise. So shall we go, Sakura?" Kakashi asked.

"Y-Yes," Sakura replied shakily, slowly descending from the tree.

* * *

><p><em>Special training… I understand why Kakashi-sensei wants to train us this much, but… will it really do anything? Will we be strong enough to get rid of Gatou?<em> "Sakura," Kakashi said, "over the past two battles, as well as the bell test, you have displayed prowess in genjutsu." _Wh-What? B-But… I…_

"Th-Thank y-you," Sakura said quietly.

"However," Kakashi continued, "your grasp of the concept is minimal – just enough to perform genjutsu, but not enough to unleash its full potential… which is why I want to know who taught you how to use genjutsu."

"N-No one," Sakura mumbled. "I… Iruka-sensei said that I-I had a natural affinity for genjutsu at the Academy… a-and Onee-chan gave me a book last year on genjutsu… s-so I've been using that book to learn." Kakashi sighed heavily. _I know… I'm terrible at genjutsu…_

"Well, what you have done so far is pretty impressive, considering you picked it up all by yourself," Kakashi commented, "but today, I'm going to teach you genjutsu from scratch. Discard everything you learned from that book."

"B-But why?" Sakura asked.

"Your form is incorrect, and your execution is sloppy," Kakashi commented. "Furthermore, you don't even know how to recognize and dispel genjutsu."

"Y-Yes I do!" Sakura protested.

"Then why haven't you dispelled _this_ genjutsu yet?" Kakashi asked, raising one eyebrow. _Wh-What? I'm in a genjutsu… right now? When did he… How did he…_ "You're wondering how and when I performed the genjutsu, right? Well, first things first, to recognize a genjutsu, there should be… shall we say… a fold in the scenery. A ripple, a wave – something that just doesn't quite fit." Sakura began looking around, her eyes narrowing in concentration.

"I don't see anything," she admitted.

"That's because I tried my absolute best to conceal all weak spots in the genjutsu," Kakashi explained. "But you _do_ feel that something is wrong, right?" Sakura stared at the ground. _Now that I think about it… something _does_ feel a bit off… Ever since Kakashi-sensei said that he'd train me separately from Naruto and Sasuke, I've been feeling really nervous… almost to the point of passing out or throwing up. Maybe that's it?_ "To perform genjutsu, you must manipulate the flow of chakra in your opponent's brain, allowing you to disrupt your opponent's senses. To release the gejutsu, you must stop the flow of chakra within your body, and apply a stronger force to disrupt my chakra. This is called the Genjutsu Kai. Want to try?" Sakura nodded and clasped her hands together. _Ok, stop the flow of chakra within me… sounds easy enough._ Then, it was as if everything in her body came to a standstill, and Sakura felt her hands and legs grow slightly numb. _Then apply a stronger force to disrupt Kakashi-sensei's chakra flow… _She projected her chakra outward, and her eyes flew open.

"Kai!" she cried. Then everything around her shattered, and both Kakashi and Sakura fell backward. Sakura felt strangely at peace, and she had a vague feeling that the genjutsu was dispelled. "D-Did I do it?"

"Yes," Kakashi answered, grinning, "though you don't really have to apply such a strong force to break the genjutsu. Just enough to overpower your opponent."

"Okay," Sakura said, nodding.

"Now let's switch. This time, you cast the genjutsu on me. Extend your chakra into my brain, and force me to see something entirely different. Remember: pay attention to detail. If something doesn't quite fit, I'll be able to recognize your genjutsu instantly." Sakura nodded and obeyed. It wasn't too difficult, considering she'd done it before. _But Kakashi-sensei said everything I've done up until now is wrong… I just have to focus. What should I make him see?_ She closed her eyes and pictured cherry blossoms everywhere, falling from trees, creating light pink patches on the ground. "Yes, that's good. And now… kai!" The illusion stayed, and Kakashi tried once more to dispel the genjutsu. This time he was successful, and Sakura felt as if someone had struck her directly to the chest. "That was good. I didn't expect you to get it so quickly, considering your rather lackluster background of the subject." Sakura felt her face heat up. "Let's continue, shall we?"

* * *

><p>Naruto leaned up against his tree. It had been nearly two hours since Kakashi and Sakura left, and he and Sasuke still hadn't made it up the tree. <em>Damn it… how can a civilian like her get it, but not me?<em> There was a light _thump_ as Sasuke fell from the tree. _How the hell did she get it so easily?_ Sasuke leaned against his tree, sighing heavily. "Quitting already?" Naruto asked.

"You're one to talk," Sasuke snapped back. "I'm just taking a break." Naruto simply rolled his eyes. _Typical._

"So how long have you liked Sakura?" Naruto asked casually, staring up at the canopy of leaves above his head. Sasuke froze, his face turning slightly red.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said simply.

"Come on," Naruto said, smirking. "It's really obvious. You could _try_ to be a little more subtle. You're always with her. You take her side on everything. You get into a bitchy mood whenever someone badmouths her… kind of like the mood you're in right now." Sasuke glared at him.

"It's not because of Sakura, it's because of _you_," he seethed.

"What did I do?" Naruto asked innocently. Sasuke clenched his jaw, but didn't say anything. "Come on, Sasuke. We've been friends for years. Just tell me what's going on."

"It's just…" Sasuke began hesitantly, "everything that you do is starting to drive me up the wall! Your carelessness, your laziness, your selfishness, just… everything!" Naruto raised his eyebrows in surprise. _Really? That's all that's bugging him?_ Sasuke quickly hung his head. "I'm sorry."

"What the hell?" Naruto yelled. "Why are you _apologizing_? For god's sake, Sasuke, grow a backbone!" But then Sasuke was back, quick as ever, glaring at Naruto.

"Don't change the subject," he said flatly.

"All right, so I'm starting to bug you a little," Naruto said. "What's the big deal? We've been friends for years, and I haven't changed."

"But…" Sasuke protested feebly, the resolve he displayed before quickly dissipating. "I have." Naruto frowned slightly.

"It's that bitch's fault," he said quietly. Sasuke promptly flung a kunai in his direction. "Sasuke, _what the hell_?"

"Don't call her that," he practically growled. "She's your teammate."

"And you said you didn't like her," Naruto muttered, rolling his eyes. "And seriously, it isn't fair." Naruto stood up and dusted himself off, and Sasuke soon followed suit. "A civilian like that shouldn't be able to do something like that. I mean, she even beat _me_, and I'm the Hokage's son." Naruto didn't even see it coming. Then next thing he knew, he was on the ground and his jaw was throbbing in pain, and Sasuke's fist was raised, a frown painted across his face. _He... he punched me..._

"Being the Hokage's son does not make you superior to anyone and everyone else," Sasuke said. "Even before, you would always leave me behind and treat me as if I was some sort of lesser life form. But not anymore. Ever since we became genin – no, ever since we entered the Academy together – we have been equals. And, for the record, Sakura is a _kunoichi_, not a civilian, and she is better than us because she ranked higher than us at the Academy. So just shut up and don't stick your nose in where it doesn't belong." And with that, Sasuke was back charging up the tree. This time, he made it even higher, though not quite up to the highest branch. Naruto turned his head to the side and frowned.

_Typical Sasuke… Always such a pussy._

* * *

><p>Team Seven was finally back together at the dinner table, though Kakashi could clearly see tension between the three genin. Sasuke sat next to Sakura and was smiling and conversing with her as usual, but his cheerful demeanor seemed strained and forced. <em>It's strange how well I can read through Sasuke now… almost as well as I could read through Sakura in the other timeline…<em> Kakashi also noted that Sasuke and Naruto were sitting as far away from each other as possible, something that he found odd. _What happened? Sakura mentioned that they have always been close friends in this timeline… did they have a fight?_ Tazuna and Inari also sat at the table, but they seemed oblivious to what was happening. As Tsunami laid more food on the table, Sakura ate more and more. Naruto frowned condescendingly, and Sasuke glared harshly at him in return. Both Sasuke and Naruto picked at their food, though while Sasuke looked uncertain and self-conscious, Naruto looked arrogant. _Get off your high horse and eat, Naruto. I thought we already established that Tazuna-san and Tsunami-san can't afford to treat you like a prince._ Sakura was the first one done with her meal, and she stood up and made her way over to a shabby frame hanging on the wall. Kakashi's eye drifted over to it, and he noticed that the picture was torn. "U-Um…" Sakura mumbled. "Why do you have a torn picture on your wall?" The air seemed to grow heavier as Tazuna and Tsunami's faces fell.

"It was my husband…" Tsunami said quietly.

"The man known as the hero of this village…" Tazuna added. Inari promptly stood up and walked away.

"Inari, wait!" Tsunami called, but her son continued walking, slamming the door behind him. "Otou-san, I thought I told you not to talk about him in front of Inari!"

"What happened?" Sasuke asked quietly. Naruto simply looked bored. _You know, you could at least try to show some interest in what's going on, Naruto._

"Inari changed," Tazuna said sadly, "after the incident with his father." Tazuna wiped. "Kaiza and Inari were always very close. Kaiza was always gentle and kind, and Inari would look up to him. Kaiza was also a man the village needed. Everyone called him a hero when he saved a whole block of villagers from a terrible flood. Inari couldn't be prouder of his father… but then Gatou came. As an example to all who opposed him… Kaiza was put to death in front of everyone."

"D-Did Inari-kun see?" Sakura stammered. Tazuna nodded solemnly.

"If something is truly precious to you…" Tsunami said quietly, her voice melancholy, "even if you lose your life… with these two arms… you must protect it… that's what Kaiza always used to say…"

"Everything changed after that," Tazuna concluded. Naruto sighed heavily, but Kakashi could tell he was bored. Suddenly, there was a violent knock at the door. Kakashi and Sasuke sprang up, taking fighting stances, while Naruto and Sakura slowly made their way behind them.

"Do you think it's Gatou?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't know," Kakashi answered honestly. _And to think, I actually hoped that things would turn out better in this timeline. Is it really going to end so soon?_ Tazuna pulled out what appeared to be a crossbow from a closet nearby and hesitantly opened the door.

Hozuki Mangetsu stumbled inside.

There were several cuts across his body, and he was bleeding badly. "They took him," he gasped.

"Hozuki-san!" Sakura squeaked.

"They took Suigetsu…" Mangetsu whispered. And then his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed.

XX

**I LIVE. This story is so fun to write. I love reimagining the Naruto characters. **

**SPOILER ALERT. SPOILER ALERT. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE LATEST MANGA CHAPTER, SKIP TO THE LAST PARAGRAPH.**

**Holy crap, Karin's Naruto's cousin. I KNEW IT. But if all Uzumakis have red hair, or at least reddish hair, does that make Sakura an Uzumaki too? Because technically, pink is really, really light red. I like how Hebi's background was explored in this chapter… and that brings out an inconsistency with the manga. You see, canonically, Suigetsu's ability to turn into water is conserved a REGENERATIVE ability, but in this fic, it's due to his (and Mangetsu's) blood being unable to clot properly. Doing so allows their bodies to change freely to water, but it does give them a pretty severe case of hemophilia. And I really want to give Sasuke a hug. The poor guy has a thing for getting backstabbed. Maybe it's because he did it to his friends, but somehow, whenever he gets backstabbed, it's way worse. Also, is it just me, or does Sasuke look like he's kind of lost and confused on the latest manga cover? SOMEONE SHOULD JUST GIVE THE POOR GUY A HUG ALREADY. PREFERABLY SOMEONE WITH PINK HAIR AND GREEN EYES (cough cough). **

**So anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. PLEASE REVIEW!**


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